Type of antibiotic but not the duration of prophylaxis correlates with rates of fracture-related infection

PURPOSE: The issue of optimal prophylactic antibiotic administration for closed and open fracture surgeries remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to assess the role of type and duration longer than 48 h of antibiotic prophylaxis on the rates of fracture-related infection (FRI). METHODS: This is a single-center, prospective observational cohort study carried out with patients undergoing surgery for implants insertion to fracture stability. Risk estimates were calculated on the variables associated with factors for FRI and reported as a prevalence ratio (PR) with respect to the 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: Overall, 132 patients were analyzed. The global rate of FRI was 15.9% (21/132), with open and closed fractures accounting for 30.5% (11/36) and 10.4% (10/96), respectively. The FRI rates in patients undergoing orthopedic surgery for fracture stabilization who received prophylactic antibiotic for up to and longer than 48 h were 8.9% and 26.4%, respectively. This difference did not reach statistical significance (prevalence ratio [PR] = 2.6, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 0.9–7.3. p = 0.063). CONCLUSIONS: Duration of antibiotic prophylaxis for surgical orthopedic fractures was not correlated with rates of FRI.